You don’t need to have a large house to have a large living room! Open-plan houses have been popular for years, effectively making the majority of the house a living space. Of course, it is possible to have a large living room and a large house. 

However, regardless of your situation, you’ll want to decorate the living room to both maximize the space and yet still make it feel cosy. That’s easier said than done.

Fortunately, the following top tips will help.

Start With Your Needs

You can’t decorate any space unless you know what you want for it. A large living room is great for entertaining but, that means you need plenty of seats and that can make it hard to feel comfortable. You need to decide which is your preference before you can decide what furniture is needed and where to put it. 

Don’t forget, there isn’t a right or wrong answer, just the one that suits you best. 

Consider Lighting

If you have a large living room then you’ll want to make it as light as possible. In the daytime this should be straightforward, you can open your blinds and curtains to let sunlight pour in. If there are any darker areas use mirrors to bounce the sunlight around. 

However, when the evening comes you’ll want to maintain the right light levels. That can be ensuring the whole room is flooded with light. You can use central and wall lights to achieve this. 

If you want to dim the lights you can use a dimmer switch. But, you’ll find it better to add some designer lighting. That’s individual lights in key places around the room. This allows you to have just the lights you need on and create the perfect ambience.

Keep Furniture Away From Walls

This is a good idea in any home as it reduces damp and mould on furniture. But, it’s not always possible, in a large living room. It’s okay to have a display case or similar against the walls but the rest of your items should have a gap. If the gap is small the room will feel smaller but if it’s a big gap it will feel larger.  

Zones

You should also consider making zones in your living room. For example, an area to relax, a place where chairs are facing each other to facilitate conversation, and another zone for watching television. 

You have the space and it’s a great way to make the living room practical. 

Warm Colours

Large spaces will be more difficult to heat and feel cooler. That’s why you should avoid cold colours, that’s whites and pale blues. Instead, choose a pastel colour scheme or even something a bit bolder. It will warm the room and help you to feel more comfortable in the space.

Don’t forget to include rugs in this. They can be used to define zones, tie-in colour schemes, and to generally improve the feel of your living room.

partnered post • cc-licensed image by Flooring Clarity